jayandseven wrote:Figured I'd chime in here...just got done riding the 11M velocity, and here are my impressions coming from a guy who has a quiver of Ozone Edges who used to ride Switchblades and XBows. I rode the 11M Velocity back to back with my Edge:Speed: Very fast...this kite will be a contender for sure...every little pull on the bar made a difference. really close here...the Velocity actually may be a little quicker than the Edge pound for pound. Really. Just so quick...Upwind: Awesome....thing sits way forward in the window, just blasts upwind, then again, so does the Edge. Probably dead locked here.Turning: Fast...much faster turning that the Xbow, not sure compared to the Switch, it's been a while since I've rode one, and about the same turning speed as the edge...Again, damn close here.Boost: This is where things were surprising. The Velocity boosts really really well. For me, the Edge boosts a little higher, however, if I rode the Velocity more, I may be able to get it darn close to the Edge. This kite, similar to the Edge, really wants to be brought past noon to boost well...if you just send it to noon, you wont get anything spectacular. But wow, most boost I've ever had from a Cabrinha. Just blasts you off the water. I'd say probably dead locked here.Hang time: Sorry Cabrinha fans, Edge flat out wins here. It's not even that close...the Velocity drops you considerably quicker than the Edge hands down, end of story. This was surprising given how similar these kites felt on the water, and how similar they are in design. After I got off the kite, I watched a guy get off a 9M Edge, and fly the same 11M Velocity, and the airs were fairly similar in height, but you could see watching from the beach how much quicker he dropped with the Velocity. Weird.Bar Pressure: Wow. Finally, a Cab with really nice bar pressure. Less than the Switch, less than the XBow, and agin, surprise, dead locked with Edge. (although, the edge was on the heaviest setting, and the Velocity was on the lightest, so the Edge on the lightest setting will probably win here, but it's so much better than any other Cab I've ridden)Coming right from my 11 Edge, the thing that I noticed the most was that damn IDS system the Cabs have makes the fully sheeted in position much further out from your body than the Ozones. I'm 6'0" tall, and I'd have to bend way over, or just let go of the bar to get the thing to fully depower. If you have a seat harness, or a boardshort harness, this may not matter, but if you ride a waist harness you'll notice this for sure. Drove me crazy, but I will say that the depower line on the Velocity was amazing, you didn't have to lock it back into the cleat like the Ozones, just pull, let go, kite depowered. So nice...One last thing, the Velocity was really floaty in the sky, was super forgiving on transitions, and I think seemed stiffer in the air than the Egde...like zero canopy flutter. Overall: If you're buying a kite for racing, it'd be hard to beat the Velocity, even with the Edge. If you are a Cabrinha fan, and you want a nice freeriding kite that boosts huge, you'll love the Velocity. However, if you're picky about hangtime, and this is as important to you as boost, then go buy an Edge for sure. Not sure how everything else was so close except for hangtime...but I'm not a kite designer.Hope this review helps someone...

Thanks this is exactly the kind of review I was looking for;

I have a quiver of B6 + a Speed 4 10. I was waiting for the speed 4 18m but it looks like it wont be coming soon. I tried the xBow 18lw the other day and if it wasn't forr the speed and the bar pressure I would have ordered one. The absence of cuff guard don't bug me too much as I will use it only in LW.

Much more complete review than I was going to write (and valuable to me since I have not flown Edges) Only thing I will add is I loved having the 4:1 depower on the bar. I am hoping that over the next couple years this migrates into all bars.

Cab Driver wrote: The only negative is the removal of scuff guards and thinner bladders to make the kite lighter and more efficient. This will require good care from the owner.

For this reason I will be getting the new Xbow instead. I spend too much time kiting alone that I will destroy it on self launch and landings.

I thought the same thing when I bought the Dyno (also thinner bladders and no guards) but in light wind, the kite doesn't slide too much during self launches so it has been fine after over 50 sessions. Also, with these super high aspect kites, the best way to self launch is reverse launch, so less sliding there as well.

LanBro wrote:Sorry...I didn't quite follow the 4:1 depower. I remember the old Cab Convert 2008 had a 2:1 depower. Where and how does a 4:1 work

The depower strap is a 4:1 system with a cleat. Do a search for the ozone racebar for a similar system.

Ok, had to post this because I think it was pretty impressive. Teaching lessons the other day, I ended up switching one of my instructors from a 11m velocity to a bigger kite because the wind was really light. Just to see I tried to ride it back with a spleene. I was riding it upwind in around 10mph, if not a little less... This was at 3:30, so it was the peak of the afternoon, but still I was just very surprised, as was everyone else who saw it.

Interesting comparisons with the edge. So where does the Xbox sit now in their range. Will they drop the aspect and or increase the curve of the arc? No point in having two kites competing with the edge.

And the guy that said the edge is a delta kite that is a bow kite....seriously!

the velocity is a little different than the edge but the trimming system is a complete replica of ozones trimming system without any acknowledgement to ozone for its simple but highly efficient,regarded as the best, in the racing world of kite trimming system.............why rip offfff and not create your own Cabrinha??? or have the decency to say we copied ozones because its the best out there!!!!

marekmk wrote:the velocity is a little different than the edge but the trimming system is a complete replica of ozones trimming system without any acknowledgement to ozone for its simple but highly efficient,regarded as the best, in the racing world of kite trimming system.............why rip offfff and not create your own Cabrinha??? or have the decency to say we copied ozones because its the best out there!!!!

Are you talking about the 4 to 1 trim strap with a cleat? Lots of people had made those on their own before Ozone came out with their race bar (including me). I think one of the shops in San Francisco was selling them as well (was it windy devil?)

How else would they make a 4:1 system? Don't both systems just use commercially available pulleys and cleats from Ronstan or Harken anyway?

davesails7 wrote:Are you talking about the 4 to 1 trim strap with a cleat? Lots of people had made those on their own before Ozone came out with their race bar (including me). I think one of the shops in San Francisco was selling them as well (was it windy devil?)

How else would they make a 4:1 system? Don't both systems just use commercially available pulleys and cleats from Ronstan or Harken anyway?

Well said. Should I present a picture my old bars and claim that Ozone copied "my" idea? Marekmr - please read a couple posts back or check for sure who have introduced the present trimming systems to the racing world

Hey, so any of you cab fans tell me what is the point of the xbow, you want light wind kite surely you'd use the velocity. What's the purpose of the xbow now? Light wind? Just use a high aspect race kite like the velocity or the edge right. Of the blade fat lady if ya into obvious grunt!

Westozzy wrote:Hey, so any of you cab fans tell me what is the point of the xbow, you want light wind kite surely you'd use the velocity. What's the purpose of the xbow now? Light wind? Just use a high aspect race kite like the velocity or the edge right. Of the blade fat lady if ya into obvious grunt!

In my humble opinion, the Cross Bow still has a solid footing in the market and should stay in the line up without question! The Cross Bow is made to a more durable design specification well suited for the beginner to expert level free ride kiters. The Velocity on the other hand is a finely tuned race machine that has to be taken care of a little differently than a normal Xbow for obvious reasons already discussed in this thread. On my 2013 Xbows, the bridals and all attention to detail was heavy duty and bomb proof. The Velocity on the other hand is light as a feather with all bridal and line set diameters ran super small for top notch race efficiency! I rode my 13m and 16m Velocity's this weekend and can attest that compared to my 2013 Xbows, these kites are a cut above when it comes to speed through the window while on plane with an obvious increase in power! The kite will fly in the lightest of winds with all the weight reductions! The power transfer to the fin is amazing. Once you find the sweet spot on the Velocity, you are in for some major acceleration and jaw dropping upwind ability! Do, we need an XBow and Velocity in the market you ask? Absolutely brother! If you're not a racer or rider with a certain degree of skill and just want a kite capable of unlimited tomahawks, then hook into something else in the Cabrinha line besides the Ferrari of kites that is the Velocity. The Velocity is a full on race kite that is amazingly efficient and lightweight! I absolutely love the thing! For just sheer light wind riding, there is no better kite to be on IMHO. And yes I dueled with a guy on an Edge and raceboard this weekend. The results I will not disclose without a certain level of forum prodding!....